Lamar
Lamar was the 1517th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 115 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 314th; the most babies were born in 1989 (737). Over the last ten years it has moved down 699 places. More babies were named Lamar in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning "the pool" · French, English
Say it luh-MAR /ləˈmɑr/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,517 boys, down 427 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 115boys
- Girls and boys
- 12% girls, 88% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1989737 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,251babies recorded
What does the name Lamar mean?
Lamar is a surname taken from a place in Normandy whose name comes from Old French la mare, "the pool", so it first described a family from that village. As a first name it is mainly American. It has been given to boys since the 19th century and was most popular in the US around 1990; it has recently also been given to some girls.
la mare (Old French, “the pool”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: French names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lamar', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Lamar (surname)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Lamar popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,235 | #1,517 | 19 | 115 |
| 2020 | #6,511 | #1,090 | 18 | 182 |
| 2010 | #5,037 | #702 | 28 | 333 |
| 2000 | — | #638 | — | 286 |
| 1990 | #8,223 | #350 | 10 | 689 |
| 1980 | #6,122 | #314 | 11 | 611 |
| 1970 | #5,610 | #407 | 9 | 400 |
| 1960 | #3,812 | #486 | 12 | 267 |
| 1950 | #3,324 | #406 | 11 | 276 |
| 1940 | — | #393 | — | 212 |
| 1930 | — | #376 | — | 228 |
| 1920 | #4,673 | #447 | 6 | 183 |
| 1910 | — | #476 | — | 34 |
| 1900 | — | #639 | — | 16 |
| 1890 | — | #1,087 | — | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Lamar, counting every spelling?
Lamar is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,365 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,517 for Lamar on its own. Together these spellings went to 124 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar | 115 | #1,517 | 663 |
| Lamarr | 9 | #8,638 | 44 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lamar?
115 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lamar (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lamar born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 73 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lamar.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lamar?
About 24,800 people born in the US named Lamar are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 26 and 54. That makes Lamar mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lamar by state
How common Lamar was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.7×), Pennsylvania (2.4×), Ohio (2.2×), Indiana (2.1×), Georgia (1.5×). In 37 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lamar: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lamar, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lamar · Sibling names for Lamar
Questions about the name Lamar
What does Lamar mean?
Lamar means “"the pool"” (French, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lamar?
Lamar was the 1517th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 115 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 314th; the most babies were born in 1989 (737). Over the last ten years it has moved down 699 places. More babies were named Lamar in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Lamar a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 12% girls, 88% boys given the name Lamar in the US.
Where is Lamar most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lamar was most common in Michigan (0.21 per 1,000 boys), followed by Pennsylvania and Ohio.